shutdown
noun
shutdown is spelled S-H-U-T-D-O-W-N: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “shut-down vs shutdown” about 320 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, shutdown means “The action of stopping operations; a closing, of a computer, business, event, etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of shutdown is shutdowns.
How many letters and syllables are in shutdown?
| Letters | 8: S-H-U-T-D-O-W-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.2 times per million words; the 12,578th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is shutdown?
Shutdown appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shutdown?
- US
Shutdown has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-shutdown.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with shutdown
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: shut-down (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of shutdown
- shutdowns plural
- shut-down
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shutdown mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The action of stopping operations; a closing, of a computer, business, event, etc.
You need to enter your password at startup, but it's not required at shutdown.
- 2
A statement, insult, etc. that prevents the opponent from replying further.
When he insulted me, my reply was such a shutdown that he left the room.
- 3
An autistic response to stress or sensory overload, in which the individual freezes up and becomes silent, motionless, and unresponsive.
- 4
A defensive ploy that prevents the opposing players from attacking.
- 5
UKslangA big success; a hyped atmosphere.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shutdown in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | arrêt (du système) |
| German | Herunterfahren , Schweigen erzeugende Erwiderung , shutdown |
| Spanish | apagado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shutdown come from?
Deverbal from shut down.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).